Each of us approaches this sport with different backgrounds, priorities, and goals. It is our job as coaches to meet you where you are and help you be the best athlete you can be. Because of this, there is no one-size-fits all program and definitely no one-size-fits all advice. With this in mind, I put together some bits of insight that I have gathered over my coaching career from friends, mentors, and athletes. Some may resonate with you. Enjoy!
The rewards you reap in life are directly proportionate to the time and effort invested towards reaching them.
You may not be the fastest athlete or the most genetically talented, but here’s the thing: If you eat, breathe, and live training (or whatever your passion is), you WILL achieve your goals, and your dreams will come to you. In our sport, it’s called swimming, cycling, and running down a dream. Interestingly, this ‘dream come true’ is not always in the form of a spectacular race.
So, what does it mean and how do we apply it to your life? The “IT” in the previous sentence means everything of course. IT means Dedicating (with a capital ‘D’) your life to your sport and making the necessary sacrifices in order to reach your goals and your dreams.
If a person wants something badly enough, there are no sacrifices.
For a dedicated athlete, that means training hard… unbelievably hard at times. IT means length before strength; strength before speed; speed before glory. IT means paying attention to all of the specifics with maintaining constant sight of the big picture. IT means intensity… not just training intensity, but intense focus throughout the year, year-in and year-out! Focus is the single biggest factor to an athlete’s success. Know what you want and strive like never before.
Define where it is you want to go and NEVER, EVER lose sight of it.
IT also means living right, avoiding anything that will not, or cannot, propel you to becoming a better athlete. When you ingest a particular food or commit to a particular task, ask yourself, “Will this help me become a faster athlete, or will it hurt my chances?” If it helps you, then by all means, enjoy! If it doesn’t, then disregard it and discard it. Life’s little choices add up over time. So, my take on this is to always keep this question in your mind when it comes to everything: HELP or HURT?
Life is a gift; we’ve only got one stab at it. Make it deep.
This sport isn’t easy. There are many people willing to do the work to be great. Some have talent. Some don’t. But remember this: talent doesn’t mean shit unless you work hard. So you MUST outwork your opponent. That is the only guarantee for success.
Fill tomorrow’s memory bank with today’s hard work deposits.
Regret is a big, but avoidable, evil. Don’t let it creep up on you. “Life moves pretty quick.” Ferris Bueller had it right! Don’t tell yourself that you have time to achieve what you want later. The time is NOW… and it keeps moving. Start lighting that fire until it’s a raging inferno. Surround yourself with success and seek it. The world moves so fast these days that the person who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it. So DO IT!
Pleasure is the roadblock to happiness.
It’s the whole pleasure versus happiness theory. Pleasure is ice cream and ‘kicking back’ watching TV. Happiness, on the other hand, is achieving something you set out to do. I can think of nothing less inspiring than a life devoted to pleasure. This is what your neighbors seek. It’s on TV right now. It’s what the average American wants. Why? Because it’s easy. If you want pleasure we’re fortunate enough to live in a society where it’s easy to find. But it isn’t happiness, and happiness isn’t always easy. Keep that in mind as long as you are an athlete and forevermore.
Figure out your dream destination in this sport (and in life).
I’ll act as a compass and help provide the map. If you are willing to do the work and strive through good and bad times, success will find you. And interestingly, it’s right around the same time that you’ll find it.